Safety hook



A. R. HlNES SAFETY HOOK Oct. 22. 1940.

Filed Aug. 18, 1959 /v// i Z Patented'oct. 22, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

This invention relates to a safety hook designed primarily as a hook for latching screen doors closed, but it is to be understood that a' hook, in accordance with this invention is forv 5 use in any connection for which it may be found applicable.

The invention aims to provide, in a manner as hereinafter set forth a hook possessing inherent characteristics for automatically maintaining it l0 in latching position thereby imparting an ele-v ment of safety thereto when used.

The invention further aims to provide, in av manner as hereinafter set forth a hook for the purpose referred to including a resilient latching part for coaction with a keeper and Which,

when in correlated relation with respect to the latter and due to its inherent characteristics Will automatically stay put to thereby maintain the door, with which it is associated closed until Said part is manually released from the keeper.

The invention further aims to provide, in a manner as hereinafter set forth, a safety hook for the purpose referred to which is simple in its construction, strong, durable, compact, thor- Oughly eiiicient in its use, conveniently arranged in and removed fromlatching position, readily installed with respect to a door and one of the jambs for the latter, distinctive in appearance, light in weight, of skeleton form, and inexpensive to manufacture,

Embodyin'g the foregoing aims and others which may hereinafter appear the invention consists of the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be more specifically referred to and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein is shown an embodiment of the invention, but it is to be understood that changes, variations and modifications may be resorted to which fall within the scope of the invention as 40 claimed.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a safety hook,

i in accordance with this invention showing the adaptation thereof with respect to a door and one of the jambs for the latter;

Figure 2 is a section on line 2-2, Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a section on line 3 3, Figure 1, and

Figure 4 is a section on line 4-4, Figure 3.

With reference to the drawing I indicates a door and 2 one of the jambs for the latter. The safety hook, in accordance with this invention is generally indicated at 3, is to be carried by the door and is for detachably connecting with the jamb for latching the door closed. The door has secured thereto a suspension 4 which connects the hook 3 thereto and upon which'the latter is freely movable. The jamb 2 has secured thereto a keeper 5 with which the hook 3 releasably engages for the purpose of latching g the door closed. The suspension 4 and keeper 5 5 l preferably will be in the form of eye screws and which may be arranged on the front or the rear of the door or the jamb. The eye or loop 6 of the suspension 4 is disposed vertically. 'I'he eye or loop 'I of the keeper 5 is arranged horizontally 10l and disposed below and'in extended relation with respect to the eye or loop 6.

The safety hook includes a coupling part 8, a sectional shank part 9 and a latching part I 0.

The part- 8 is for correlation with the suspension 15y 4 for connection to the door I. The part 9 oonstitutes a carrier for the part I0 andthe latter is for coaction with the keeper 5 for latching the door closed;

, The coupling part 8 merges into the shank part 20 1 of spaced.parallel-resilient arms I2 of the de- 25- sired length, having their Outer terminal portions I3 oppositely flared. 'I'he part I0 is formed from l a single lengthof resilient metallic stock of the desired gauge bent upon itself to provide it of Y-shaped contour formed of a stem I4 terminat- 30 ing at its upper end into oppositely outwardly inclined resilient front and rear latching members or arms I5, I6 respectively. 'I'he front side of the arm I 5 and the rear side of the arm I6 are provided on the lower portions thereof with op- 35 positely disposed outwardly directed extensions I'I, I8 respectively of inverted tapered contour providing at their upper ends oppositely disposed horizontal shoulders I9, 20 respectively for a purpose to be referred to. The inner sides of the arms I5, I6 at a point above the shoulders I9, 20 are connected as at 2I to the outer ends of the arms I2. v

The split loop II provides the coupling part 8. The arms I2 constitute the sectional shank part 45 9 and the stem I4 and arms I5, I 6 provide the latching part I0.

When the safety hook is in latching position the arms I5, I6 automatically bind against the inner face of the loop I and the shoulders I9, 20 50 are arranged against the bottom edges of the loop 1. When arranging the safety hook in latching position the latching part I0 is extended downwardly through the keeper 5 until the shoulders snap under and engage the lower edge of 55 keeper 5. 'Ihe part I0 may be forced down by gripping arms i5, I6 or by employing the shank 9 by exerting force on the latter and which will provide for the downward movement of the latching part I0. As such latching part moves downwardly with respect to the keeper 5 the extensions ride against the inner edge of keeper 5 until they clear such edge and then they snap in position. 'I'he latching part Il! is removed from the keeper 5 by moving the arms I5, I6 to the dotted line position shown in Figure 3 whereby when the latching part I is pulled upwardly the shoulders I9, 20 will clear the inner edge of the keeper 5.

The extensions II, I8 may be termed shifters,- as they act to clear the outer portion of the. arms I5, I6 of the keeper 5 when the part IIlis moved downwardly through the keeper tolatching position. The shoulders provided by the extensions.

constitute holders to prevent the upward movement of. thepart I5 until the arms I5, I6 are moved towards each other to releasing the shoulders from holding position.

The arms I5 and I6 havetheir upper portions bent or extended rearwardly as at 22 and 23 respectively so as to form finger grips, the ends of the extensions 22 and 23 being disposed above the armsA I2 as shown in Figure 2.

What I claim is:

1. A safety hook for coaction with a horizontally disposed keeper in the form of an annulus and connected to a door jamb, said hook comprising a split annular coupling part adapted to be freely connected to a Suspension carried by a door, a resilient split shank part extended from the split ends of said coupling part and a latching part disposed at righty angles to said shank part and formed with a pair of resilient arms connected intermediate their ends to the outer end of the shank part for extension through the keeper for binding against the inner face of the latter, said arms being provided with shoulders intermediate their ends for abutting the lower face of the keeper when said arms are in binding engagement with the inner face of the keeper.

2. A safety hook for coaction with a horizontally disposed keeper in the form of an annulus and connected to a door jamb, said hook comprising a horizontally disposed split annular coupling part adapted to be freely connected to a suspension carried by a door, a horizontally disposed resilient split shank part extended from the split ends of said coupling part and a vertically disposed keeper part connected at spaced points, intermediate its ends to the outer end of the shank part having a portion of its length in the form of a pair of oppositely outwardly inclined resilient arms for extension through the keeper for binding against the inner face of the latter and provided lengthwise of their lower portions with oppositely disposed outwardly directed inverted tapered extensions for abutting the lower face of the keeper when said arms are in binding-engagement with the keeper whereby the latter and latching part are automatically coupled together.

3. In a safety hook a unitary body comprising a horizontally disposed coupling part, a horizontally disposed split resilient shank part extended from the coupling part and a vertically disposed latching` part formed with a pair of resilient oppositely' outwardly inclined arms connected intermediate their ends to the outer end of said shank part, said arms being provided with oppositelydisposed laterally projecting combined shifting and holding means therefor.

4. A safety hook for coaction with a horizontally disposed keeper in the form of an annulus and connected to a door jamb, said hook comprising a split annular coupling part adapted to be freely connected to a suspension carried by a door, a resilient split shank part extended from the split ends of said coupling part, a latching part carried by said shank part and formed with a pair of resilient arms for extension through the keeper for binding against the inner face of the latter and provided on their lower portions with oppositely disposed outwardly directed inverted tapered extensions for abutting the lower face of the keeper when said arms are in binding engagement with the keeper whereby the latter and latching part are automatically coupled together, and a pair of arcuate rearwardly directed finger grips formed with the upper ends of said arms.

ALBERT ROY HINES. 

